Man Utd have Cathy Ferguson to thank for six Premier League titles after Sir Alex Ferguson U-turn

Sir Alex Ferguson's wife, Lady Cathy, is well known for being the bedrock behind her husband's hugely-successful career at Old Trafford, playing a major role in a number of key decisions throughout the Scot's 26-and-a-half year reign.

A statement from Cathy's family confirmed that she had sadly passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 84, with the club offering their heartfelt condolences during the difficult time.

Cathy generally stayed away from media attention throughout her life, but there is no debating the part she played behind the scenes during Sir Alex Ferguson's incredible career.

Speaking in the 2021 documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, he paid tribute to his wife.

“My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement.”, he said. “Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.”

In the wake of her passing, we have taken a look back at Cathy's role in persuading Sir Alex Ferguson to make a U-turn on his original decision to retire in 2002.

Sven-Goran Eriksson had emerged as the outstanding candidate to replace him, with the Swede in charge of the England national team at the time.

However, Ferguson later claimed that his wife was instrumental in changing his mind, while the thought of Eriksen taking over 'terrified him', according to the Mirror.

Ferguson was expected to retire after his side finished third in the Premier League and failed to lift single piece of silverware.

But that wasn't such a fitting end to the script. Instead, he chose to extend his stay at the Theatre of Dreams, where he would go on to win six more Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and three League Cups, a Club World Cup and five community Shields, cementing his legacy as the most successful Premier League manager of all time.